Leather Desk Sets: Genuine Leather vs Faux Leather
Search for a leather desk set and the results put two different materials under one name: genuine leather and faux leather. This guide shows how to tell which one a listing means, how the two differ in general, and where each is in our range. In short, most of our range is in the faux leather desk sets collection, and the genuine leather sets are the 17-Piece Executive Desk Set and the 5-Piece Genuine Leather Desk Set.
What "leather desk set" can mean
When a shop calls a desk pad and its matching accessories a leather desk set, the word can mean one of three things, and only the first is hide:
- Genuine leather is a natural material made from tanned hide.
- Faux leather is man-made, with a leather-look surface. Shops also call it leatherette, or synthetic, artificial or imitation leather; every one of those names means it is not hide.
- Leather-look and leather-style describe an appearance and say nothing about the material.
The smaller searches work the same way: a listing for leather desk accessories or a leather desk organizer may be genuine leather or faux leather, and the title alone rarely settles it.
How to tell from a product page
- Find the material line. Titles and ads tend to repeat the phrase people search for; the specification list is where a seller states the material. On our product pages it is the Material line under Specifications, and it names faux leather, genuine leather, wood veneer with faux leather components, or wood and faux leather.
- Read the word in front. "Genuine leather" is the wording that claims hide, and each faux leather name listed above says the opposite. A title that says only "leather", with no material line behind it, is the one to question.
- Do not judge by the grain. Pebbled, fine-grain and mottled are look words, not materials. Our product pages use "pebbled grain" for the genuine leather 17-Piece Executive Desk Set, for faux leather Venus sets and for the Vesta sets, which are wood and faux leather.
- Check what the statement covers. A material line usually describes the set as a whole, not every part. Most of our faux leather sets state the lining on a separate line of the Specifications: velvet-lined in some families, lined with faux leather in others. If one part matters to you, such as the writing surface of the desk pad, ask the seller before you order; for our sets, use the contact page.
Some listings add grade or animal words to genuine leather; the Material line of our 17-piece and 5-piece sets says only "Genuine leather". If a listing leans on such a word, ask the seller what it means for that product.
Genuine leather vs faux leather in general
This table describes each material in general, not a particular product.
| Question | Genuine leather | Faux leather |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Tanned hide, a natural material | Man-made, with a leather-look surface |
| How the surface varies | Natural grain; tone and texture usually vary a little from piece to piece | Texture is pressed or printed in; usually even from piece to piece |
| Colors and patterns | Depends on how the maker dyes and finishes it | A wide range of colors; can carry printed patterns |
| Care, in one line | Usually a soft cloth; ask the seller before using any product on it | Usually a soft cloth; no abrasive pads |
| What to check | That the material line itself says genuine leather, and which parts it covers | That the listing says faux plainly, and the finish of the color you want |
Neither label tells you how well a particular set is put together, so judge the product by its photos, its list of pieces and the seller's answers. As a rule of thumb, pick genuine leather if the natural material itself is the point, and faux leather if you want a particular color or a printed pattern.
Which of our sets are genuine leather and which are faux leather
Faux leather: most of the range
Most of our sets are faux leather: every Chester, Cloud, Elegance, Galaxy, Luna, Pulsar, Star, Vega and Venus set, from four-piece compact sets to executive sets of ten pieces or more. See every faux leather set.
Genuine leather: the 17-piece and the 5-piece set
The 17-Piece Executive Desk Set ($799) is genuine leather; its product page describes a black finish with a pebbled grain, gold-tone trim and light beige interior linings. Around the 15.0 × 22.8 in (38 × 58 cm) desk pad it has a two-tier document tray, pen cup, memo holder, phone stand, tissue holder, pen stand, personalized nameplate, two ballpoint pens, desk flag with a pole, ashtray, lidded presentation box and four coasters.
The 5-Piece Genuine Leather Desk Set ($450) is a compact set: a desk pad, pen cup, memo holder, letter opener and a two-pen stand with two pens, on the 13.4 × 18.9 in (34 × 48 cm) pad, with no nameplate. Its product page describes a very dark black finish with a slightly warm cast and gold-tone trim. Both sets are listed in black.
The nearest faux leather alternatives
Each genuine leather product page links to one faux leather set that covers what its own set leaves out. If the 5-piece set is the right size but you want your name on the desk, the Luna 8-Piece Desk Set with Nameplate ($150) is a compact faux leather set with a personalized nameplate, on the same pad size. If you want a desk clock and a picture frame, which the 17-piece set does not have, the Star 14-Piece Desk Set ($400) is a faux leather set with both, on the same larger pad.
To check such a pair, select Compare on both in all desk sets; the comparison page puts material, pieces, desk pad and nameplate side by side.
Wood with faux leather: Prestige and Vesta
If you searched for a wood and leather desk set, the Prestige and the Vesta sets come close, and in both the second material is faux leather. The Prestige sets are wood veneer with faux leather components; the veneer is a thin surface layer of real wood, and the sets are not solid wood. They have their own collection, wood veneer desk sets. The Material line of the Vesta sets reads wood and faux leather. For how faux leather and wood veneer differ in look and feel, read faux leather vs wood veneer desk sets.
Choosing between them
- Genuine leather, large desk: the 17-piece set, on the larger pad, with a personalized nameplate.
- Genuine leather, small desk: the 5-piece set, on the smaller pad, without a nameplate.
- A compact set with a nameplate, or a ready-made color other than black: faux leather is where to look.
- One or two pieces instead of a set: either material, through the tool described next.
Leather desk accessories and organizers by the piece
A search for leather desk accessories or a leather desk organizer is often a search for one piece, not a whole set. We sell single pieces only through Build Your Desk Set. You pick a model, then the pieces, then one color for all of them. One piece is a complete order, and each piece shows its own price in the tool.
The model decides the material. The faux leather families named above are faux leather models in the tool as well, and Prestige and Vesta keep the mixed materials just described. Genesis is our genuine leather model, and the Genesis piece list in the tool has a Desk Pad, Two-Tier Document Tray, Pen Cup, Memo Holder, Phone Stand, Tissue Holder, Pen Stand with Two Pens, Personalized Nameplate, Desk Flag with Pole, Ashtray, Lidded Presentation Box, Coaster and Letter Opener.
Desk accessories by the piece shows which models offer each piece, and desk pads and desk blotters gives the pad size of every model; the Genesis Desk Pad is the 15.0 × 22.8 in (38 × 58 cm) size.
Care for genuine leather and faux leather sets
General advice about genuine leather often mentions conditioners and cleaners. Our materials and care page names no cleaning product for genuine leather or for faux leather sets, and it gives every set one routine: a soft, dry cloth for dust, a soft, slightly damp cloth for a light mark, then dry the surface, and spills wiped up promptly. The product pages of the 17-piece and 5-piece sets add that sharp tools and excess moisture should be kept away. The care page also takes the desk pad, the trays and organizers and the printed nameplate one at a time.
Leather desk set questions
Do you have a black leather desk set?
Yes, in both materials. The 17-Piece Executive Desk Set and the 5-Piece Genuine Leather Desk Set are black and genuine leather. In faux leather, black and brown are offered on the most sets, and black desk sets lists the black sets of every material.
Is genuine leather only available in black?
The ready-made 17-piece and 5-piece sets are listed in black. In Build Your Desk Set, the Genesis model is listed in the full color range, and the color step of the tool shows the current list.
Can I use alcohol wipes on a leather desk set?
Our care advice uses a soft cloth only, dry or slightly damp, and names no cleaning product for genuine leather or faux leather sets, so alcohol wipes, sprays, polishes and conditioners are not part of it. Before trying one, contact us.
